Separable and detachable button.



No. 682,782. Patented Sept. l7, l90l.

L. B. BEGKWH'H.

SEPARABLE AND DETAGHABLE BUTTON. (Applicatiofl filed Mar. 8, 189B. Runawed 1hr. 14, 1901.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATE T OEEIcE.

LOUIS B. BECKWITl-I, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE L. 0. WHITE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

' SEPARABLE AND DETACHABLE BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,782, dated September 17, 1901.

Application filed March 8, 1899. Renewed March 14, 1901. Serial No. 51,184. (No model.)

tachable Buttons, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

. The present invention relates to that class of buttons in which the button is detachable and separable from the pointed stud or shank,

so that the same may be attached to or reinoved from a garment with facility and the invention is especially applicable to so-called bachelor-buttons or suspender-buttons upon m'ens trouscr.., as will be more fully understood from the following description.

In the present invention the shank of the button is formed with a straight stud or pinlike bar secured in a cap or shell by any convenient means, and the button is provided internally with a spring-leaf projected obliquely across the central line of the button and perforated to admit the shank or stud. lhe leaf is inclined toward the back of the button, and the hole is so proportioned that the pin presses the leaf inwardly-toward the face of the button before it can enter the hole and is locked therein by the "normal pressure outward of the spring toward theback of the button, which jams the edges of the hole againstthe opposite sides of the shank. A slot or opening is formed in the bottom or back of the button adjacent to the free end of the spring-leaf, and the point of a penknife. or any suitable pin may be inserted in such opening to press theleaf inwardly, and thus disengage the opposite corners of the hole from the shank, which permits its withdrawal and the separa ion of the studor shank from the button.

The invention will be understood by refer.- encelto the annexed drawings, in Which Figure l is a side elevation of the button.

Fig. 2 is a section through the center line of Fig. 1, upon an exaggerated scale, with a piece ofv cloth clamped between the stud and be ton. Fig.3 is a plan of the inside of the back of the button with the spring and its foot, the

.4) to admit the shank b.

cover being removed. Fig. 4 shows the outside of the back of the button. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shank and its head before being capped. Fig. 6 isa plan of the washer for securing such shank in the cap. Fig. 7 is a plan of the button with the top removed, showing the shank of flat form and a spring having a foot of alternative construction. Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 Sin Fig. 7 with dotted lines showing the lifted position of the leaf. Fig. 9 represents the blank for the double leaf-spring shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 shows as a. modification a plan of a flattened shank and its head, with dotted lines showing the initial disposition of the shank upon the head; and Fig. 11 is a section The cover a of the button is represented in.

Fig. 2 as spun over the edge of the body I), which is formed with central hole g (see Fig. The spring-leaf is shown in Fig. 2 with a foot 0 clamped between the cover a and the edge of the back 1). Such foot may be formed upon the spring leaf in any suitable manner to be held within the body, and is shown in Fig. 3 secured within the back I) by lugs c, which are shown integral with the back and bent inwardly from its periphery. The foot is shown in Fig. 7

secured by a flange 0, which in like manner is shown integral with the back I) and bent inwardly around its enire periphery. The

- foot is held at right angles to the axis of the button (which is indicated by the line :0 a; in Fig. 8) by its support upon the edge of the back, which is concentric with such axis.

The spring-leaf d of dill'erent forms (shown in Figs. 3 and 7) is formed integral with the foot, but inclined therefrom at an acute angle, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, which projects it obliquely across the axis of the button, upon ically engaging the which line it is provided with a clamping-hole e, a little larger than the shank.

Fig. 3 shows the leaf stamped from the middle of a rectangular plate having side bars which form a foot 1; to extend across the back I) and having their opposite ends secured by the lugs c, which are bent inwardly from the material of the back.

-In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 the footc and leaf dare formed substantially of a straight bar bent upon the line 61 d in Fig. 9, so that one part, forming the foot 0, may extend across the body to be caught by the flange 0', while the other part, formingthe foot (I, is bentobliquely across the axis of the button, as shown in Fig. 8. The leaf (Z is held elastically in the oblique position and with a hole made to fit closely upon the pin. It is obvious that the inclined position of the hole shortens the aperture through the spring in'the direction of the springs length, so that two opposite edges of the hole oppose the entrance of the shank when pressed inwardly. The pres sure of the shank forces the spring into a less oblique position until the aperture is nearly at right angles t'o-the axis am, when the shank enters the hole and moves through the same in frictional contact with two opposite sides. When the shank is retracted or withdrawn from the body of the button, the elastic pressure of the spring tends to force it again into an obliqilc position, and such tendency binds or cramps the shank upon two opposite sides, which is apparent in Figs. 2 and 8, at the upper and lower sides of the. hole in the springleaf dgtlirough which the shank is inserted. Theshank is formed with a tapering point, so as to readily enter the hole e when the spring-leaf is in an oblique position. \Vhen the shank is pressed into the hole, it therefore bends the leaf inwardly until it can pass through the hole, but is prevented from 1'e-,

traction when the pressure is removed by the elastic outward movement of the leaf, which cramps the opposite sides of the hole against the opposite sides of the shaul In applying the button to is inserted through the fabric 76, and the front is then pressed upon the same as far as the fabric will permit, the spring-leaf auton1atshank and holding it securely in such position. The use of force to withdraw the shank from theebutton bends the spring-leaf into a more oblique position and only cramps the sides of the Hawk more A slot or openingf is formed in the button or back adjacent to the free end of the spring-leaf, and a pin or knife-blade, such as is shown at h in Fig. 2, may be'inserted in such opening to pressthe leaf upwardlyinto the position represented in dotted lines (Z in Fig. 8, when the edges of the hole will clear the shank and permit its withdrawal. The button may thus be removed for repeated a garment or fab-v 1'10, as represented in Fig. 2, the pointed shankv use without injury to its parts, and is thus adapted for repeated use upon different garments. f

In Fig.3 the hole a is shown round to admit a round shank; but in Figs. 7 and S the hole is shown rectangular to receive a ilat shank b, and one edge of the shank is shown formed with minute notches in Fig. 8 to engage the edge of the hole when the spring is cramped upon the sides of the shank. Fig. 13 shows a round shank with annular grooves adapted to operate with .the spring in a similar manner. The size of the grooves is exaggerated to show them clearly upon the drawings; but they may be made of any size and number that is desired. The flat shank shown in FigslOand ll-inay benotched upon both sides; but in most cases such notches are immaterial or unnecessary, as a clamp of this character is well known to grip with great tenacity. The round shank shown in Figs) 2 5, and 13 may be formed of a wire nailhi'ith flat head Z2 and locked within the cap'i by an auxiliary washerj, which is shown separate in Fig. 0. Fig. 12 shows the cap before it is connected with the other parts, being formed with an upwardly-projeeting flange, which is closed around the margin of the washer, as shown in Fig. 2, by suitable tools for securing the head of the shank therein. The flat shank 21*, Figs. 10 and 11, may/be readiiy formed, in one piece with a found head by stamping from sheet metal in the form represented by the black and dotted lines in Fig. 10 and bending the parallel tongue upward at right angles with the head, as shown in Fig. 11. Other modifications may be made, as the essential feature of the invention is the combination, with a shank having a straight stud, of a button having the perforated spring-leaf projecting obliquely across its axis, as herein described. As the spring-leaf clamps the shank so tightly, it is not liable to be loosened unless the button is severely strained; but to prevent such, strain from tipping the shank within theback b a guideimay be provided for the shank within the cover a and the center of'thetop projojzted outwardly to permit the passage of the shank through such guide. The guide is represented in Fig. 7 formed as a hole a in the foot 0 of the leafspring, the hole also appearing in the bunk in Fig. 9, to show the point at which the blank is bent to bring the leaf-spring upon its under side, as shown in Fig. 8. In this-lattcrfigure the cover a is omitted, as it is in Fig. 7, to show the parts clearly, and tlie shank o is shown projected through, the guide. The hole e which forms the guide, and the hole g in the button-back being both formed upon the axis of the button, (represented by the line .4 9: in Fig. 8,) it is obvious that the shank is firmly held from displacement when the button is in use, and any needlcss'strain upon the leafwhere a dotted line (1' d is represented spring is thus avoided. The guide may be provided by some suitable attachment to the cover a.

upon such axis with the hole (2 formed to fit close upon the shank, and adapted to cramp upon its opposite sides, substantially as herein set forth.

2. A separable and detachable button comprising the shank formed with a straight stud and the body I) having the hole g in thebottom to admit the .sbhnk, and provided internally with a single spring-leaf d afiixed at the edgeof the front, and projected obliquely across the line of the shank, and having a hole upon suchline fitted closely to the shank and adapted to admit the same but to resist its Withdrawal, substantially as herein set forth.

prising the shankformed with a straight stud and the body 12 having the central hole gin the bottom, a single spring-leaf dprojected 3 obliquely across the axis of the button with 3. A separable and detachable button cornhole upon each axis fitted closely to the shank to cramp its opposite sides, and a guide with in the top of the button to hold the shank in the center, substantially as herein set forth.

4. Aseparable and detachable button comprising the shank formed with a straight stud,

and a body having the hole g in the bottom to admit the shank, a single spring-leaf d projected obliquely across the axis of the front with the hole 6 fitted closely to the shank,

and an opening f in the back or bottom adjacent to the free end of such leaf to admit a lifting-tool, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In separable and detachable button,

the combination, with the front cover a. and the body 'bprovided with central hole 9, of the spring-foot a locked within the body I), the spring-leaf d projected obliquely across the axis of the body and provided with a hole e in line of such axis, and the body having the slot f adjacent to the free end of the leaf (1, v

as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Louis B. suonwirn.

Witnesses;

Gno. L. WHITE, Guoi J. LINES. 

